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Star Trek: Unity (fan film series)
Star Trek: Unity was a long-running amateur, non-profit, live-action and machinima fan film series initially created by teenage students at Applemore Technology College in Hampshire of the United Kingdom in 2005, then moving to Totton College in 2007. Along with an ever-growing and varying number of cast members, for almost six years they produced seventeen episodes in three seasons, followed by a 'new' series of nine full-length editions and two comepletely-machinima webisodes, including a grand three-part finale in 2009 & 2010, with story elements and characters from the entire run. The series is based around the adventures of the young crew first assigned to Unity One Starbase, a space station at the edge of the Romulan Neutral Zone, and later also aboard the starship , all about five to ten years after the events of . Unity One and the Odyssey are commanded by best friends Captain Puto and Captain Lewis, along with their Starfleet crew of companions who are honourable officers, but a little unorthodox and rogue in their methods as they keep the peace in the middle of three powerful empires, all whilst learning about themselves and their destiny. Despite a very shaky, zero budget amateur start in 2005 by the teenage student creators, improvements have been made in production values and quality. It is highly recommended viewers start watching from the 'new series', beginning with episode 18. Star Trek: Unity has become a moderately popular yet little known fan series set in the Star Trek universe, but controversial for it's focus less on morality tales and more on plot, drama and light comedy as well as the in-universe incorporation of other sci-fi television lore. Characters Throughout, Unity has had a large change in its cast with many different characters and personalities. Captains Puto and Lewis, the main characters, are the only two from the very beginning that have been in every episode. In most stories, the pair are joined by a third main crew member, such as Prax, Jimb'a, Jono or Laura Lee. and Lewis, seen here in the 2009 specials]] Original main characters: *Captain Puto - Joint Commanding officer (Played by Ian Pidgley) *Captain Lewis - Joint Commanding officer (Played by Luke Sutton) *Lt. Cmdr Prax - Engineering officer (Played by Max Stafford) *Commander Tina Nuttol - Chief Medical officer (Played by Becki Florence) *'Jimb'a' - Rakelli ally and later Prime Minister to his people (Played by Adam Best) *Commander Robert Whitfield - Colony leader (Played by Daniel White) *Commander Samuel Hawkins - Chief of station operations, later commanding officer (Played by Fred Milner) Season Two: *'Jono' - (Played by Thomas Stevens) *Lt. Cmdr Amanda Wood - Covert ops specialist (Played by Lizzie Golding) *Captain Claire Hayward - Fleet Commander from Starfleet Command (Played by Grace Hayward) *Captain Rachel Goodwin - Claire Hayward's assistant (Played by Sophie Goodwin) *Captain Lisa Coventry - Commanding officer, (Played by Hollie Coventry) *Lt. Cmdr Chelsie Fox - New station commander (Played by Jen Pidgley) New Series (Season Three & Specials): *Ensign Richard Ford - Archaeologist and historian (Played by Oliver Stevens). *'Jade' - Teenager from the 21st century (Played by Jade Perry). *'Becky' - Teenager from the 21st century (Played by Becky Carter). *'Laura Lee' - Member of the Home Guard (Played by Flic French). Machinima: *'Jonathan Kent' - Time agent from the 31st century. *'Kaialin' - (Voiced by Dan O'Shea). Re-occurring guest characters: *Andras - Iccobar commander and later, ascended Guardian ally (Played by Andy Sutton). *Commander Tabok - Romulan starship commander (Played by Sean Bailey). *Chloe Fisher - Enigmatic 'lost girl' of the Home Guard (Played by Bryony Plumb). *Chov woman - A native of planet Kressgon (Played by Beth Hobley). *N00b woman - (Played by Alex Bone). *Tom Brannigan - Human teenager turned Green Warrior (Played by Peter Bone). *Charlotte Bobbin - Member of Plymouth's Home Guard (Played by Daisy Holder). The majority of all characters return for the three-part finale ''"Double Jeopardy"/''"Moebius"/"Twilight"''. Classic Era Episodes Season One *1. "'New Order" (2005) After defeating the Borg, Captains Puto and Lewis take command of a new base and must deal with the destruction of a Rakelli freighter by a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. But the day is only just beginning… *2. "New Order, Part Two" (2005) The Rakelli stage an attack on Unity. Puto and Lewis must discover the origin of these people, and visit a suspected Rakelli base. ]] *3. "Addiction" (2005) While on a routine visit to a Federation planet, Captain Puto is captured by a rogue Rakelli hooked on ecstasy. Lewis must find Puto and Nuttol is forced to treat Prax for drug overdose. *4. "Unity Unbound" (2005) It is Christmas at Unity. But a number of unfortunate events and the unleashing of the flu virus leave only a handful of officers to defend against a Rakelli surveillance operation in the asteroid field. *5. "2005" (2005) After discovering that the Rakelli are attempting to alter the timeline, Puto and the crew travel to Earth in the year 2005 to stop them. Who is the evil Green Warrior? *6. "Out of the Shadows..." (2005) The Rakelli attack a Romulan shipyard and this proves the last straw for Starfleet who launch an attack on a Rakelli base. Puto and Lewis alone must track the fleeing Rakelli Emperor and realise that the Rakelli are merely pawns in a larger game. *7. "Into the Fire" (2005) They are BACK!!! The Borg attempt to assimilate Unity and Lewis has a very emotional encounter with the Rakelli emperor as the hood of this enemy is finally pulled back. Season Two *8. "Ancient Order" (2006) After defeating a huge Borg armada, Puto and Lewis track the fleeing ships to the Azure nebula. They bring with them an old friend of Lewis’. However, in discovering a planet with ancient ruins, the team trigger an automated defence and invasion program! *9. "The Unit" (2006) While checking the progress of the Rakelli Republic, the crew finds a highly dangerous and intelligent life form that could exterminate millions, which yet could save itself from the edge of pure evil, while a grave situation forces Prax to use his initiate piloting skills. *10. "Threads" (2006) While on a routine survey on the planet Kressgon, Puto and Lewis find a massive Borg Harvester assimilating the population. Captain Lisa Coventry assists the team, and soon finds herself captured by the Borg with Lewis. Meanwhile, Prax begins to have feelings for Amanda, but is there any possibility of a relationship? was an important planet in the series]] *11. "Threads, Part Two" (2006) Escaping from the “Big Brother House”, Lewis and Lisa discover the Borg Emperor’s plans to completely assimilate Kressgon. Puto must come up with a successful plan to save the primitive world, while Lewis and Lisa, Prax and Amanda struggle with their relationships… *12. "Memoirs of Unity" (2007) As Christmas fast approaches, Lewis and Jono head to planet Tamperoti to search and destroy reported Green Warriors who have crash-landed. On their way, Lewis recounts his most important experiences at Unity. worms that controlled their minds.]] *13. "Duel of the Fates" (2007) As the new year of 2387 starts, several things change. Puto and Lewis receive notice that they will be relieved of their positions at Unity Starbase and re-assigned, but more dangerously, the minefield around the Azure Nebula explodes and while the two Captains investigate, Iccobar troopers, led by the possessed Captain Hayward board Unity and take it over… on 21st century Earth between Starfleet and the Emperor's Borg.]] *14. "Final Order" (2007) Puto and Lewis must face the Borg and Iccobar onslaught, whilst dealing with Green Warriors, and a Romulan siege of Beta Thoridor II. Lewis will face his father, whilst Puto must work against time to save the future. It’s the Emperor’s Final Order, and sacrifices will be made… Season Three - Part One This season begins a new story and introduces new characters - first time viewers can begin at this stage in the series if they wish, but it does help some plot understanding if they watch the earlier episodes. *15. "Crusade" (2007) (Part One) When it seems that peace has finally come to the Federation, the Klingons just have to ruin it! But where has an alien space ship with advanced engines come from? Who are the Fen Domar? Puto and Lewis are about to spark a holy crusade… *16. "The Quest" (2008) (Part Two) The Fen Domar are revealed by their religious leader Skoll and having discovered the existence of the Federation, set out to convert it to their faith. Puto and the team are trapped on planet Kressgon – where a mysterious Iconian artifact might be the last hope for stopping the crusade… *17. "Puto's Holiday" (2008) After finding the next piece of the Elementux, Puto needs a break... but the beaches of Earth arn't a safe haven for the Klingon Empire, who find themselves reaching the climax of their civil war... New Series Season Three - Part Two Although taking place mid-season, a brand-new story started the second-half of the original show. *18. "Fifth Element" (2008) The quest for the Elementux comes to an unexpected conclusion... Lewis must take on the role of a man from a long dead species, whilst two girls from the twenty-first century are taken to the future as an old enemy comes, literally, from the past. *19. "Doomsday, Part One" (2008) Over a month since the Borg war began, Captain Lewis is shocked as Captain Puto is killed on a mission and the survival of the Federation rests on the crew of Unity One Starbase. Meanwhile, Puto finds himself in a different reality and is given a task by the ancient Iconians themselves... *20. "Doomsday, Part Two" (2008) A newly revived Puto is assimilated by the Borg, forcing Lewis, Becky and Jade to mount a rescue at the collective's homeworld. With planet Kressgon under threat, and the last hope for victory slowly fading, can the crew and commanders of Unity Starbase, aided by a legion of allies, bring the galaxy together as one? 2008 Specials The events of '''Unity Comics take place just prior to these specials. A Halloween special and Christmas special were released in 2008. *21. "Zombies on Kressgon" (2008) Ten months after Doomsday and the crew of Unity Starbase have moved on, but Captain Lewis still commands the USS Odyssey, and when he gets a message from planet Kressgon about a dangerous Green Warrior, he beams down to encounter a world of zombies... But who is the Green Warrior? And can the Kressgonians be cured? *22. "The Scorched World" (2008) Captain Lewis and Rakelli PM Jimb'a go back in time to investigate the mysterious Home Guard and their operations against World War Three eco-terrorist Colonel Green... Machinima Starfleet's youngest crew are about to return to duty! Captain Puto & Captain Lewis are joined by companion of the past Laura Lee and Starfleet Time Agent Jonathan Kent as they fight for peace and understanding in the middle of three powerful empires. But the mysterious 'Forge' lays in the shadows, and the march of the Reavers is about to begin... *24. "The Return" (2009) The USS Odyssey-A is on it's way to Unity One Starbase after a refit at Earth, but odd distortions from a nearby planet promp Puto, Lewis and new companion Laura Lee to investigate and discover a time-traveling ally. *25. "Day Two" (2009) There is no time to rest, as Captain Puto & Captain Lewis' presence as peacekeepers is required on the distant Neutral Zone world of Unroth. Have the Klingons really been murdering Federation colonists? Or is there more to the situation? 2009/2010 Specials joins the crew in the specials and season 4]] *23. "A Lonely Alien" (2009) When an alien creature that feeds on passionate emotions travels back in time to Earth in 2009, Puto and Lewis' first new mission takes them to England's city of Exeter of all places, where Lewis meets an old friend... These episodes take place shortly after the machinima series. *29. "Double Jeopardy" (2009) Puto and Lewis must go on the run as they are arrested by sinister agents. Meanwhile, Laura Lee is kidnapped and her mind connected to a virtual reality... But who is behind the crew's arrest? Who wants them out of the way? And why? The answer may be more familiar than anyone anticipated... *30. "Moebius" (2009) Something is stealing worlds, ships and even people from existence, ripping apart all of time and space. Whilst Captain Lewis embarks on an odyssey across history to seek the solution to this paradox, Captain Puto must battle Colonel Green's cybernetic Borg armadas at the epicentre of it all: Unity Starbase. Starfleet's youngest must finally grow up... *31. "Twilight" (2010) The last episode of Unity... Colonel Green has won. The Borg are assimilating the universe. But given one last chance, the Captains and companions of Unity Starbase could yet prevail. This is their Twilight Hour... Further Adventures Following the Unity finale in July 2010, production began on one-off spin-off films, the first of which was released at Christmas 2010. * Star Trek: Rapture Captain Lewis and his plump alien friend Jimb'a travel to the bottom of the ocean on another planet and enter the world of Rapture, a city built from the remains of Lewis' starship, where a political revolutionist is turning the advanced technologies and knowledge of the Federation to against it's principles. Will Lewis sacrifice his sanity for the sake of preventing the dangerous 'plasmids' from reaching the surface? Welcome to Rapture... Issues and themes in Unity The show is based upon the premise of Unity between all species and races and cultures as well as the the mutual protection of these races against those who wish to undo that unity. "Accepting the enemy" is a big part of the series and as seen in Season 1, the aggressive Rakelli make peace with the Federation and their arch-enemies the Klingons. Loyalty is explored through Lewis and Jono's past teamwork and friendship with Puto and Robert Whitfield. Just war is often another issue shown. In "Threads, Part Two", for example, the crew fight the Borg to protect Kressgon and 21st century Earth in "Final Order". In a less general sense a specific theme throughout the series is Responsibility. In the first episode, Lewis tells his best friend Puto that he thinks he might regret taking command of Unity because there is too much responsibility for his young age, but Puto is reassuring and knows Lewis will grow and learn. Puto later helps Chelsie Fox overcome her nerves when she is assigned to take over the station. Drug addiction was briefly covered in the aptly named episode "Addiction" in Season 1, when a Rakelli who had taken Puto as a prisoner overdosed on Ecstasy whilst interrogating the captain. Behind the Scenes *The series has elements taken from all Star Trek series as well as other science fiction. Instead of merely being crossovers with other franchises, the presence of these non-Trek parts are explained in-universe. Most notably, the TARDIS from Doctor Who and Iconian Gateways in the form of those from Stargate SG-1 are products of the ancient Iconian/Guardian race, as are the "lightsabers" from Star Wars that Lewis, Jono, Andras and the Green Warriors use. *The series is based on Unity One Starbase and the Rakelli, both parts of the PC game . Also, the Unity theme tune is from . *The system in which Unity One Starbase is located is conjecture, based on the fact that it is located very near the Romulan Neutral Zone and Klingon space. The use of Gateway as the star system's name is based on a planet in Starfleet Command III which is located near the sector in which Unity resides, and by utter coincidence, is a popular fan name for the planet of the Guardian of Forever. The PC game Star Trek: Online has subsequently confirmed this. See also *Shared universe External links *Gateway Productions at YouTube.com - Home of Unity episodes *[http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=327431213967&ref=ts Star Trek: Unity on Facebook] *[http://StarTrekUnity.bebo.com Star Trek: Unity Bebo group] *http://www.geocities.com/startrek_unity (Former website - now inactive.) Unity Unity